Max BENDER

BENDER, Max Max Bender, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died October 4, 2014, at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. Max was born in 1922 in Milwaukee, WI, to Harry and Clara Bender. He was a first-generation American shaped by growing up in two very different communities: small-town Wewoka, OK, in the heart of the Seminole oil field during its boom years, and St. Louis, MO. He was of the Old West at heart but 21st century in outlook. In 1943, he left the University of Oklahoma to enlist in the U.S. Army. During World War II, he served until 1946 in England, France and Germany, earning two battle stars and doing intelligence work. Drawn to science from boyhood, after the war, Max earned a B.S. in physics and biology, and a M.S. degree in physics and mathematics from St. Louis University. During his wide-ranging career as a research scientist, he worked at McDonnell Aircraft Corp. as a development engineer. At Westinghouse's Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, he was part of the team that developed power for the U.S.S. Skate nuclear submarine, for which he received a letter of commendation from the Dept. of the Navy signed by Admiral Rickover. He went on to work at Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he developed instrumentation to study radiation losses and superconducting solenoid magnetic fields; at Bendix Aerospace, designing experiments for re-entry vehicles and for radiographic studies of high-energy sources, and developing x-ray imaging systems. At the University of Michigan's Willow Run Laboratory, he developed a reflective measurement facility to aid night vision. Working for the UM's Highway Safety Research Institute (later the Transportation Research Institute), he developed a high-speed cinematic x-ray system for use in conjunction with biomechanics research. He was successful in attracting sponsor support for the conception, design and development of the system. This work enabled other researchers to broaden their choices of experimental geometry, kilovoltage, and current, in the search for answers about the injury mechanisms that occur when vehicle occupants are involved in crashes. He held several patents, including one for a fast-opening electrical switch and another for a precision radiation attenuator. He served as president of the Ann Arbor Optical Society. Max retired in 1982 and was named UM Associate Research Physicist Emeritus. After retirement, he continued to do consulting work. Max was a natural storyteller who shared engaging, often humorous stories of his life. He enjoyed old westerns, playing golf and watching Michigan football. To the end of his life, he was a voracious reader, interested in history, politics and current events. He is survived by and will be greatly missed by his wife of 66 years, Borah Mae Bender; children, Sharon Bender, David Bender (Josephine Bender), Lisa Bender, Michael Bender (Holly Bender), and Rachel Bender; and by 11 grandchildren, Josh Gordon, Sam Gordon, Daniel Bender, August Bender, Avielle Bender, Ambrose Humphrey, Justin Humphrey, Jacob Bender, Samantha Bender, Matthew Bender and Margaret Bender. He was predeceased by his sister, Edith Schermer. Max also is survived by several nieces and nephews. In accordance with his wishes, cremation took place and a private family gathering will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations in Max's memory may be made to a if (!aa) if (newSrc !== undefined) { newFrame.src = newSrc; iframe.parentNode.replaceChild(newFrame, iframe); } } } else { for ( aa.target = ''+ '/3.0'+ '/5306.1'+ '/1400071'+ '/0'+ '/-1/size=30x1'+ '/adtech;'+ 'alias=legacy.annarbor.lifestory.30x1.1.1;'+ 'target=_blank;'+ 'key=' + escape('COYCSGK') + ';'+ 'kvopenextapp=' + escape('1') +';'+ 'kvcobrand=' + escape('annarbor') +';'+ 'kvpersonid=' + escape('172760596') +';'+ 'sub1=' + escape('charity of the don http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?n=Max-BENDER&pid=172760596